Nursing strike 15m old - how to recover?

[JumpstartMondays]

My little one (just 15m) had a severe case of hand foot and mouth recently and we ended up in A&E for dehydration. Baby is BF (alongside solids) but mouth was too full of ulcers and despite wanting to nurse, it was clearly so painful every latch and suckle. They're now recovering well and it's been 3 full days of no nursing. Baby has started wanting to comfort suckle and but won't actually latch fully or properly, just exist with my nipple in their mouth for short bursts of time. I'm hopeful this is a good sign that we'll make our way back to nursing?

Anyone else with similar experience of nursing strikes, how long did it last? Did you recover BFing? How did you manage that? My first baby went through a nursing strike but came back straight away as soon as their mouth stopped being painful and very easily, too. My tricks from last time just aren't working this time. I hope to BF until age 2 minimum (made it to 2y 11m with baby 1).

I BF baby 1, continued through miscarriages and pregnancy, then tandem feeding and this is BF baby 2. I'm so sad that this could be how our journey ends. I don't think baby is ready, I know I'm not.

Surely this isn't it, you just have to keep latching on?

Sorry that's the extent of my advice...! Just keep latching on

But baby won't latch on though! 😔

Have you been expressing? Maybe skip one expression and try latching on when you're really full.

If he's comfort suckling, that counts as latching on, it'll increase your supply so just keep doing that, is what I meant earlier!

Sorry this isn't what you want to hear but this is what happened to mine at exactly the same age (although it was a vomiting bug in her case) and I could never find a way to get her to breastfeed again despite trying for a couple of weeks. She wouldn't put the nipple in her mouth though, just turned her head away, so that might be a bit of hope it could turn out differently for you. I don't have any suggestions just keep trying I guess.

Have you done all the usual stuff like giving her some pain relief and having a bath together?

Yes I have. Only managed half an Oz today though in a 20m pump from the power boob 😔

Comfort nipped a few times today. And at bedtime we made progress - comfort nipped whilst walking around cuddling and then baby wanted to lie down and continue to comfort nip. It's not so much suckling as just resting with nip in the mouth so I've called it that instead of suckling.

Ultimately another day of no nursing and milk supply decreased dramatically.

I'm confident the pain has passed now. Back to their usual boisterous playful self. But yes I was giving Calpol, ibuprofen and mouth numbing spray for ulcers at the peak of illness.

Bath together and as much skin2skin as I can decently get away with.

Thank you. I think I might have to make peace with it. Going to give myself a timeframe after which I'll stop pumping efforts and trying.

I'm just so sad that this could be how my last breast feeding journey will end. 😥

I'm just so sad that this could be how my last breast feeding journey will end

I totally understand that and I'm sorry that the usual techniques aren't working.

Just wondering if you've spoken to a BFC on one of the Helplines? They may be able to offer some suggestions and can offer support with how you're feeling

Mine had a nursing strike for a couple days after HFM I did more dream feeds and it picked back up

Dream feeds not being accepted either but thank you for the suggestion 😔

Your milk might well be reducing, but it is unlikely to completely dry out for some time. You probably have a bigger window of opportunity than you think. Have you tried making sure there is a bit of milk on your nipple before offering, like they suggest with newborns?

Hey mama, not sure youre seeing this message. But i read your post and having an almost identical experience, I was wondering if your baby did end up taking to breast again or whether that was the end of your journey?

I hope u see this message and can reply as im currently feeling really lost, lonely and heartbroken.

Hello, I'm sorry you're experiencing similar too. It's so hard and emotionally charged, isn't it? Especially when noone really gets it because it's such a special dyad.

We did find our way back to nursing again, and actually little one still nurses now (just turned 2) although usually just at bedtime these days.

The nursing strike lasted for almost 3 (long) weeks.

🫶

Thank you so much for replying and for your kind words ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I really appreciate that you got back to me and a I get to learn from your experience!
Well done for still going strong, two years is an achievement 😍

I can’t believe it lasted threeee weeks!! Youre such a soldier for not giving up. What did you do in those three weeks? Were you regularly pumping and offering your breast regularly? What triggered his return?

My DC3 stopped feeding during a stressful period of hosting family at Christmas. I was heartbroken. Back to bed (once hosting was over ), baths together, dream “offerings” which felt so conflicted. He was adamant he didn’t want boob whilst simultaneously being distraught that he didn’t want boob.

24 days later he finally latched during a dream feed “offer” and then fed until 4yrs 4mo. He weaned at that age “because your boobs have forgotten to make my milk” as I was miscarrying. Heartbreaking at the time, but I’m happy that we managed to restart feeding after the initial stress-driven nursing strike, even if it then ended in my stress-driven drying up.

@Hanbah did you manage to nurse again?

My LO has hand foot and mouth and hasn't fed for coming up to 4 days now 😭 I've been expressing, albeit not alot. My LO is 13mo so he doesn't need breastmilk but I wanted to make it to 2years and I'm just hoping my last breastfeeding journey hasn't just ended like this 😭

@Stardust89 hi hun, gosh I know exactly how this feels. The hurt of knowing it might have all ended abruptly.

in my case my daughter started feeding again once the ulcers cleared fully ( i couldnt see them anymore but they were still hurting). It took about a week. During that time i kept offering it as usual, made sure not to be pressuring because i didnt want to create a negative association with bfing. Luckily one night she suddenly started suckling again and has kept at it ever since! Hope urs does the same. Keep us posted x

I know this is an old thread but this happened to me with DS2 and everything I found online said the nursing strike would end. But for us it never did. My son was 9 months old and he just flat out refused to go back to it. I would try when he was sleepy using a nipple shield and he would wake up, figure it out, and stop. I exclusively pumped for 3 months to get him to a year on breast milk.
Posting just because I don’t want anyone else to feel like a failure if they can’t get back to breastfeeding. Years later, DS2 is an incredibly strong-willed and determined kid so I guess it was a sign of things to come, but he also absolutely loves cuddles and is incredibly affectionate. This too shall pass!